


He isn't Me

by YukiTenshi18



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Aunt Natasha Romanov, BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes Feels, Eventual Happy Ending, Family, Fluff and Angst, Hallucinations, Hurt Peter, Irondad, Mild Language, More tags to be added, Multi, Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Violence, spiderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:02:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22236790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiTenshi18/pseuds/YukiTenshi18
Summary: With his identity revealed Peter turns to Dr. Stephen Strange to help him fix things, their solution? Send Peter to a reality where he doesn't exist so Strange can help smooth things over and clear Peter's name while the Spiderling lays low.Peter thinks it should be easy, hide out while the magic Doctor Man fixes everything right?Wrong.Parker Luck strikes again and we all know things never work out the way we plan.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Peter Parker, Felicia Hardy/Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 35
Kudos: 177





	1. Short Escape

Peter landed on his backside with a grunt, he wasn’t exactly used to traveling through portals but that had been his only means of transportation given the fact Dr.Strange had just sent him to an alternate reality for the time being. He glanced around to find he was alone in an alley, it was still daylight out but there didn’t seem to be anyone around.

He hadn’t wanted to come here but when he’d gone to the magic doctor for help after the Beck incident the man had suggested he lay low in a reality where Peter Parker didn’t exist and in the meantime he would aid in clearing Peter’s name and setting things right. He’d been both grateful and shocked at the man’s willingness to help though he suspected despite his cool exterior he was still holding onto the guilt of helping set up the pieces for the game in which Ironman had both won and lost. He was also still trying to come to grips that despite everything Beck had lied about that there were in fact other realities and that he was now in one where Peter Parker wasn’t a person. Still to be on the safe side Strange had given him a word of warning to try and avoid anyone in this dimension that he’d had contact with in his own world. 

“Well guess I’m on my own for a hot minute then.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out the envelope Strange had given him, it had way more money than he felt like he needed and also a card with a phone number on it. He’d said it was a contact in this reality he could turn to if he found himself in a tight spot. He moved to shove into the inner pocket of his jacket, doing a quick sweep of his surroundings before taking off. He needed to find a hotel first, get himself squared away before he could figure out his next move, he hadn’t been allowed to bring his suit so he felt almost naked as he walked with his shoulders hunched down the sidewalk.

It wasn’t terribly busy but there were still plenty of people around, but after a few minutes he realized no one was pointing or staring, he didn’t have mobs of people coming out him like they had been in his reality. So he felt some of the tension leave his body, he also wasn’t really familiar with this part of town either, at least not from the ground so it took him about half an hour to find a hotel that he deemed “less sketchy”. He made his way inside and over to the counter, the receptionist looked a bit older but not terribly rough around the edges.

“Um, excuse me?” His voice sounded a little more shaky than he’d meant for it to but it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. A lot had happened in the last few months.

She looked up at him, her face round and pleasant with a few wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her mouth and eyes. “Can I help you young man?”

“Yea uh I would like to get an extended room stay if that’s possible here?” Not all hotels did it but a lot of them would. And if Strange was right it should only take a few weeks to clean up the mess over there.

“We do offer extended stays for $250 a week.” Her voice was wary as she stated the prices.

He nodded, it made sense she was skeptical with how young he was but he just smiled. “Awesome, my dad will be around later but could I go ahead and book it now?” He pulled out the money for two weeks without batting a lash. 

She looked a bit taken aback as she adjusted the thick rimmed glasses on her face. Teenagers ran away often but it wasn’t common to see one with so much money. However he seemed nice enough and even if he was lying she didn’t get the feeling from him that he was here cause any sort of trouble.

“Ok honey, gimmie a name and I’ll get you settled in.” 

He grinned, maybe he could do this after all. “Peter Parker.”

She nodded and got him signed in, took the money and handed him one key card. “You can always come get a second when your...father gets here.”

He had the good sense to look sheepish as he nodded and took the card, heading up to the second floor. The room was clean with a single bed which told him she hadn’t bought the bit about his father at all, still she gave him the room and that’s what mattered. He went over and sat on the bed, the weight of everything that had happened in such a short time was starting to close in around him.

The battle on Titan, the pain of being dusted only to wake up what felt like moments later to him. Being thrown into a new battle, protecting the gauntlet and then watching his hero die. Barely having started to move past that to try and adjust to having missed the last five years of his life only to have everything with Beck go down, the lies and the mind games. Knowing he wasn’t who Mr.Stark had wanted him to be and then the icing on the cake was his identity being revealed so that he was made out to look like a villain. It didn’t matter that only a handful of people actually bought into that lie, the world now knew he was and so did S.H.I.E.L.D which meant he had nowhere to hide.

He hung his head into his hands as he felt a swell of emotions rise up so fast he thought he might be sick. He was in a completely different reality, he was alone and all he could do was wait for Strange to come for him. He hated all of this, being powerless to save anyone or change things. The deepest part of him wished he had been the one to make the snap, to have made the sacrifice instead of Mr.Stark. The world still needed Ironman, but Spider-Man was a menace, a hero that could barely protect a highschool class. He could feel the heat building behind his eyes but he couldn’t deal with this right now, so he swiped his eyes then stood and headed out. He would buy some things he would need to get by for the next few weeks and grab some food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He spent the next few hours just walking around, he stopped at a thrift store and found himself a few cheap pairs of jeans and some shirts. He would stop by a drug store for some underwear and socks along with toiletries. For now he was starving and while he welcomes how the hunger blocked out any other feelings he still needed to eat before he did something stupid and passed out. He spotted a cafe at the end of the block which sounded about as good as anything else right now, he went in and found himself a table that he could see from the counter so he could keep an eye on his bags while he ordered. The barista was a girl about his age, bouncy blonde hair and blue eyes, he ordered the cheapest sandwich they had and some lemonade.

He was sitting at his table for a few minutes, he’d picked up a cheap phone and was setting it up since he hadn’t been able to bring his personal phone when they called his name.

“Peter Parker.”

He went to stand but flinched at the sudden sound of metal scraping tile as a chair was thrown back and crashed into the table behind it. He blinked once before looking around to locate the source. His heart stopped, fear jolted every cell in his body as he locked eyes with the Winter Soldier himself. He felt his heart began to race in his chest as his eyes darted to the door. He had to run, he had to get out of here now. He didn’t think about his food or the bags of his clothes, he just ran. Slamming out of the cafe and his feet pounding the pavement as he made his escape.

“PETER!! Peter Stop!” 

He glanced back to see the Soldier giving chase and balls he was fast. His legs making long strides to close the distance between them.

He didn’t know why this was happening. He didn’t exist in this world right? But he was sure being chased like he was pretty well known. He was blind to everything around him as he just ran, he had to get away. He turned left then right as he avoided hitting anyone thanks to his senses. He ran until he was finally in an alley, he whirled around breath coming in gasps and eyes wild as he scanned where he’d come from. He took a few cautious steps forward but froze when he saw him come around the corner, he turned to run opposite of him but was stopped dead when someone landed, effectively cutting off his escape route.

He found himself locking eyes with the very stunned blue eyes of Captain America.

“Peter?” His voice was so soft and it sounded so shocked, unsure even.

“N-no Sir…” He shook his head, still frozen. He didn’t even have his web shooters.

Steve gave a stuttering laugh. “No? I can’t think of another sixteen year old boy that would call me Sir even while he was running for his life.” The last words caused a shift in his expression, he looked sadder. “Peter how...how is this possible?”

He took in a sharp breath and turned back towards the Winter Soldier who looked so lost with one hand reaching out towards him.

“Pete…” He sounded so small, like he couldn’t risk being sure of what he was seeing.

Peter blinked a few times as the world around him began to blur, he’d never eaten and he was so tired. “M’not….supposed to..” he swayed on his feet. “Exist..”

And with that the world went black.


	2. Who he Was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is going to get a crash course that even the smallest of moments can lead to the biggest changes, that this world is nothing like the one he has come to know.
> 
> Enemies that are friends and a family he never had.
> 
> But will be able to cope with knowing about a life he could have had?

As he started to come around the first thing he registered was the voices, at least three people talking around him.

“There is no way it’s our Parker, we were all on the battlefield that day. We saw what he did…” That voice belonged to someone he couldn’t place from his own memory but they clearly knew him.

“Yea trust me I know, I wake up every night with that sight burned in my mind. This kid though...Bruce you should have seen his expression.” There was a pause, it was Mr.Rogers talking now. “There is no one he could be but Peter. He was so scared and Buck said he ran from him as though his life depended on it.”

Buck? Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Of course he ran, that was the man that killed Mr.Stark’s parents after all. He wasn’t supposed to know that but during the time he’d been recruited to help stop Captain America and his team he’d maybe spied and listened in just a little to different private conversations.

“He was just in the cafe getting food as though it was the most normal thing in the world. I heard them say his name and I thought I had to be losing my mind.” Mr.Barnes, he knew the voice from the alley, just as he knew Steve Rogers. “But it was like he didn’t even know me…”

There was another lull in the conversation before the one called Bruce spoke again.

“It’s possible that is it’s him, and that’s a big if, that he might be suffering from some sort of amnesia as an aftereffect of what happened. But it seems much more likely that this is some sort of sick trap.” There was the sound of feet shuffling and the tapping of fingers. “Either way until we get to the bottom of this I think it’s best if we don’t tell Tony.”

Peter’s heart stopped at the mention of his mentor. He lost his control for just a split second but in that moment he found his eyes snapping open and making direct contact with those of James Barnes.

Bucky blinked once before turning fully towards Peter. “Hey Pete, how you feeling?”

He glanced around as he attempted to reign in his panic now that all three sets of eyes were on him, one pair belonging to a man he had only seen in photos, Bruce Banner himself.

“I uh...I’m ok I think.” His voice was shaking, he could hear it but at this point he was to rattled to really feel embarrassed about it.

Steve smiled softly as he stepped closer, trying to ignore how Peter flinched and seem to shrink away. “Listen Pete, we aren't here to hurt you. I know you must be feeling pretty confused but I promise we just want to help you figure things out ok?”

Peter nodded, at this point he didn’t have much choice except to play along for now. “Ok Mr.Rogers, Captain America Sir.” He felt entirely out of his element trying to address the once hero turned war criminal.

Stever quirked a brow, the kid really must be suffering in the head right now. He acted as though he didn’t know them at all. “Peter do you remember us at all?”

He was quiet for a long moment before giving a slow nod of his head. “Steve Rogers and James Barnes, aka Winter Soldier. And Bruce Banner or the Hulk depending on his mood.” He was keenly aware at how pale Mr.Barnes seemed to go at the mention of his Hydra title.

“Peter you know Bucky doesn’t appreciate that title.” Steve tried to sound gentle about it, as to not startle Peter.

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to know what he does and does not appreciate when aside from fighting you both at the airport in Germany I have never spoken to you.” He knew at this point there was no hiding it, seeing as clearly there was something very different about this timeline.

“Germany? That’s been quite a while back Peter and after all of that was settled you know things got better, we were a family again. One that you became a part of.” It broke Steve’s heart that the kid didn’t seem to recall any of this.

Peter had to think for a long moment before speaking again. “Mr.Rogers...I was told Peter in this reality didn’t exist. But I can put the pieces together easy enough to understand that by not existing it means he died, however I’m not your Peter and in my world you abandoned Mr.Stark to save the...to save Mr.Barnes.” He looked at the man dead in the eyes. “You were there with the Avengers when Thanos attacked, the team you and Mr.Stark built was ripped apart.”

Steve took a step back, shock etched into his features at everything Peter had just said. He knew there was the possibility of other timelines due to Strange’s knowledge but to think this Peter was from another one and that in that world things had turned out so differently. “Peter...that’s a lot to take in. But, in this reality you were hurt badly in that fight. It was Barton that got to you first, he took off your mask and when we saw that you were just a kid and that you had been hurt so bad it brought things to a stand still.” He could still remember running up to see the blood running down Peter’s face. “Tony couldn’t focus on anything but helping you, he told us to just leave but we couldn’t just leave things like that. We all got on the jet to get you some medical attention.”

He sighed and could see the confusion in Peter’s eyes. “While you were being looked over Tony and I actually talked. I told him what Bucky had done when he was being controlled, of course Tony was livid but we still talked. In the end we knew we couldn’t let things end this way so we all stood against Ross, we had the accords altered as well. It took time but things did get better.”

He had to agree with Mr. Rogers, this was a lot to take in but seeing as he was the one actually here from another reality he couldn’t exactly just call the man a liar. “All because I got hurt?”

Bucky snorted from where he stood. “And never stopped getting hurt. While we were all trying to figure out how to navigate this new situation you just went about doing your hero thing. Tony nearly had a heart attack with how many times Friday was alerted to you being injured. He eventually made you start coming to the compound for training, after a few months you just sorta made things seem whole.”

Bruce grinned. “He isn’t wrong, you had several of the most elite Avengers wrapped around your pinky finger.”

Peter just frowned, none of this made sense though. He didn’t have that kind of luck. Well he was dead here so his luck clearly wasn’t that good. “How did this Peter die though? And if Thanos came was I dusted? How is Mr.Stark alive?”

Steve winced at the sore subject. “Thanos did attack, but you weren’t dusted?” He’d go back to that one. “Tony and I had the team fighting off his children as he called them when he showed up with all but the Mind stone, we tried to stop him but he managed to get it at the cost of Vision’s life.” He opened his mouth to keep going but found the words wouldn’t come. 

Bruce nodded and continued for him. “Thor managed to injure him and thanks to your quick thinking you were able to get his gauntlet off before he could do any further damage. We just had to beat him.” He leveled his gaze with Peter’s.

Peter thought a moment, he had the gauntlet and if things were that bad then he knew what he should have done in his own battle, what the Peter here must have done. “I used it didn’t I?”

Bruce nodded, regret heavy in his eyes. “We tried to stop you but you were so sure with your accelerated healing that you would be ok.” He shared a look with the other two, they all cared about Peter but those two had been closer with the boy than he had. “You snapped your fingers and wiped Thanos along with his army out, even brought Vision back to exist without the mind stone.”

“You were amazing Peter, you saved us all from a fate I don’t even want to think about.” Bucky’s voice wavered between proud and distraught. “But you were...are just a kid and it should have been anyone else.”

Peter’s fists gripped the sheets. “It was.” He couldn’t look at them as he spoke now. “In my reality Thanos got the stones and snapped. I died then too, just got blipped out of existence. I don’t know the whole story but I know it was five years later when Mr.Rogers and Mr.Stark came up with a plan and got us all back.” He felt the same awful heat building behind his eyes. “But Thanos came for the stones again, it was all so confusing. I woke up to being thrown back into battle and I saw him...Mr.Stark for just a few minutes but he...he was the one in my time.” He could still hear the last echoing heartbeat of the man as he died.

Steve was stunned, it was so very different from the world they knew. He couldn’t fathom not having know Peter as he does or losing five years to that tyrant. “Peter I’m so sorry, it seems you were carrying a burden no matter where you lived but…” He drifted off, unsure of how to ask the next question.

He nodded, looking up at the Captain with a tight smile. “You want to know why I’m here in your timeline right? Or reality ...whatever this is.”

“I can think of a number of reasons why you would want to escape your pain but I know our Peter would never run away and if you don’t mind my saying you seem very much like him.” It was almost eerie, they were so very much alike.

“I guess what I did was sort of like running away, but only to fix what was happening.” He hated this, hated having to explain it again.

But he did, he told them about the trip and what Beck had done. He explained what the man had made him believe, even told them about the train. Then the incident with his identity being exposed so that he’d had to seek out Dr.Strange for help. The plan the other man had come up with that required Peter to lay low and away from S.H.I.E.L.D for the time being. By the time he was done talking he felt so drained, he realized that he still hadn’t eaten though they must have given him an I.V. to help stabilize him. He finally forced himself to look up, he found that all three looked more than just a little upset. They looked downright pissed off.

Steve finally looked at Bruce. “I think we should bring Tony here, if nothing else we can look after Peter until his Strange comes for him.” He looked back to Peter who suddenly seemed even younger. “Would you be ok with that Pete?”

He wanted to say no, that seeing Mr.Stark would only make things even harder when he had to leave again but he knew he was fighting a losing battle as he nodded. “Uh yea...that would be cool if you don’t think it would be too much trouble for you guys.”

Bruce chuckled. “Peter you may be a reckless kid with zero self-preservation skills, but you have never been trouble for us, come on Steve let’s go get Tony.”

The man nodded and walked off with Bruce, leaving Peter alone with Bucky who was still quiet.

Peter fidgeted for a moment, he hated awkward silence. “So...the only interaction I ever had with you was that fight at the airport with you and Falcon, but I guess it’s different for you?”

Bucky nodded, it was almost painful being alone with this kid who looked exactly like their Peter. “Our Peter was actually one of the first people I felt comfortable around.” He gave a small smile thinking about it. “He was just so unphased and relaxed, he would come in and do homework when I was in the training room, even spar with me on occasion.” He glanced at this new Peter. “He was the reason Tony and I were able to find some sort of peace.”

He almost wanted to hate this other version of himself, he seemed so much more together than he was. Helping heal the Avengers, sacrificing himself to save them all. He was nothing like that, he was always busy getting in trouble and getting saved. “He sounds great.”

“He was. Just like I’m sure you are, this is all just very new. Alternate timelines and realities aren’t exactly shocking given all of what we have been through but it’s definitely different standing in the same room with someone who is supposed to...not be here anymore.” He had no idea how to make this Peter feel better, they might be the same person but that didn’t make them the same.

“Yea I honestly think it would have been better for everyone if you hadn’t seen me, this is just going to make things harder on all of you.” And on himself, he was terrified of seeing Mr.Stark again. Sure the man had hugged him on the battlefield and left him E.D.I.T.H but other than that the older man had always remained distant from him, only popping in to clean up his messes so he couldn’t imagine a world where the billionaire needed him close by.

Bucky went to protest but at that moment the door swung open.

Tony Stark stood there, his eyes wild and looking a million different ways. 

Peter felt the first tears slide free, he’d cried before but this was different. For the first time in months he felt relief, like he could let go. Still he tried to give a half smile. “H-hey Mr.Stark.”

It seemed to take forever for Tony to move, but you could see the shift in him, like something cracking. “Kid.” The one word was broken and sounded so lost.

Peter just gasped, as he found himself being pulled against a warm chest, arms crushing him so tight he almost couldn’t breathe. All he could do was let the tears fall as everything else faded away for even just a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the spelling/grammar errors, I tend to type fast and have no beta. One day I'll go back and edit these to be all pretty.
> 
> Until then please enjoy this update my lovely humans!
> 
> As always, please leave me some kudos or comments because I'm like every other human and enjoy knowing that others are enjoying the stories I provide!


	3. Explanations Galore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you cope with meeting your hero again? 
> 
> With explanations and story telling until you brain begins to melt.
> 
> Peter has to face the reality that this is not his Mr.Stark, not his hero.

The world was quiet for a moment as he reveled in the embrace, his hearing focused solely on the other’s heartbeat that drummed wildly. There was no battle around them this time, his world wasn’t fading away. Everything felt perfect until he felt the first few drops of heat melt away into his hair.

Tears.

He pulled back suddenly, eyes going wide at the sight of Mr.Starks eyes blinking away the tears, his face was caught between grief and joy as he smiled at Peter. 

“Hey Kid.”

Peter’s heart jolted with pain as he realized the man probably hadn’t been properly informed of all the details yet. That he wasn’t his Peter and that broke him because he knew his Mr.Stark would never cry for him. “I’m sorry Mr.Stark but...I’m not your Peter.”

Tony blinked a few times, confusion dawning in his eyes as he stared at the teenager. Then he glanced at Cap who nodded, confirming the worst. His kid was still dead. “But...you are still Peter Parker yea?”

Peter nodded slowly. “Yea I uh, I had to come here to lay low for awhile. Dr.Strange had told me that the Peter here didn’t exist but he messed up, I didn’t mean to hurt you guys. I just didn’t...know.” He realized how much his being here must actually hurt them. If this Mr.stark showed up and it wasn’t his own then it would just make the loss of the man all the harder to cope with, knowing in some other world he would have lived.

Tony slid off the bed, missing the defeated look spreading across Peter’s features. “I know you are probably sick of this but you wanna go over it with me? Start to finish. I want to know what relationship we had over there.”

Peter hated this so much, it hurt to say it over and over. But he owed it to the man for allowing him for even just a moment to believe his Peter had returned.

This time he started from the moment Mr.Stark had come to him for help, he explained every moment in Germany and even told him about the events leading up to his Homecoming dance, though he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to include every last detail. Which led up to his version of the battle with Thanos, his sneaking onto the ship into space all of which this Tony had never experienced. He told him about being dusted at which he saw the older man’s face tightened even more. Finally the last battle in which it Ironman who made the final play. Then of course the few short months before his trip to Europe and Fury recruiting him, everything that went down with Beck and what led him here.

By the time he was done he felt like he was shaking. He had relived almost every worst moment of his life so many times at this point it just ached inside him. After a minute he realized Mr.Stark still wasn’t talking so he forced himself to look at him directly. “Mr.Stark?”

Tony met Peter’s gaze. “Peter, I don’t know how things went so wrong in your reality. How I….he could treat you so carelessly but in the end it seems he was able to do the one thing I couldn’t and that was to protect you.” It was agony to think about. From the start he had tried taking Peter under his wing. It was him the kid reported to not Happy, they had figured out the whole mess with the Vulture together and used it as a lesson to teach him how to be a better hero. But in the end the boy had learned to well and made the sacrifice play while this other version of himself had clearly cared but still held Peter at arm’s length yet he had invented time travel just to save him and in the end saved them all.

“He gave me amazing suits, he saved me plenty of times and he had to let go of Pepper and Morgan because he brought me back. He may have made some mistakes but he was my hero.” Ironman and Tony Stark both were his heroes until the day he took his last breath.

Tony looked over at Steve and Bucky who looked almost as broken as he felt about pretty much everything right now. “Listen I’m not trying to bash your guy, it’s just hard for me to here about things went for you over there. But regardless of all that we want to help you, stay here at the compound and enjoy a little bit of calm before the time comes that you need to go back.”

Peter glanced around, their faces full of compassion and kindness. He didn’t want to go back to that hotel alone and he had kind of already agreed to stay but that was before he had seen Mr.Stark again. He was afraid of getting attached to someone he had to let go of all over again. “Listen I don’t really want to be all on my own here but...I’m not the Peter you guys don’t know and I feel like it isn’t really fair to exploit your grief just because I look like him. You all clearly loved him very much and had a bond much stronger than I had with any of the Avengers on my side. I just can’t bring myself to mess that up by hanging around.”

Tony smiled softly, the pain still very fresh for him with having lost Peter was true. “Listen, I know now you aren’t the same kid we lost but you are still Peter and I know that makes you this do good self sacrificing kid that does everything he heartbeat.”

His hands clenched into fists as he fought back the tears once more. He was Spider-Man, he was an Avenger and yet it seemed he still wasn’t capable of doing anything on his own.

“I just…”

Bucky stepped forward. “Peter every single one of us has struggled. I get it, you are fighting with yourself right now about what you think you should do and what you want but you don’t have to. Ican to protect the little guy. So how about as fellow heroes we help you out because we both know if the shoe was on the other foot you would help us in a don’t know things got handled over there but I do know there here we help each other.” He looked over at Tony who gave the smallest nod. “We have all made mistakes, fallen down or been beaten so bad we didn’t think we could get back up. I still have days where my mind plays tricks on me and I have to reach out to someone to help ground me.” This time he held out his hand to Peter. “So maybe it’s time to take a helping hand without feeling all that guilt and shame, because you have no reason to feel that way.”

Those words felt like water running over him, washing away some of the doubt he was feeling. Of course it didn’t just make everything ok but it made him feel like he could reach out and accept the help they were offering, which is how he found himself taking Bucky’s hand. “Ok...I’ll stay here then.”

There was a collective sigh of relief from the others as Bucky grinned at Peter before pulling back. “Good choice kid.”

“Just don’t go out of you way for me though ok? It’s great you are all letting me stay and helping me out but I don’t want any special treatment ok?” he pleaded, not wanting things to get complicated.

Steve chuckled. “Good luck, you might not be the same Peter but you are still the youngest one of us now living at the tower and so special treatment is probably a given but we will do our best to keep it to a minimum.”

Tony had to give a wry smile of agreement. “Yea we aren’t exactly good at not pulling out all the stops.” He had to look away though, it wasn’t the easiest thing for him to do, looking into those soft brown eyes. “So uh I notice they gave you a drip but you think you have calmed down enough to maybe come eat some real food?”

Food sounded amazing, his stomach rumbled to voice its agreement and he flushed. “Yea I’m pretty sure I could manage some food.”

“Alright well why do we all head to the community kitchen and see if we can’t convince Barton to whip something up for us then huh?” The genius smirked, his favorite past time was goading birdbrain into cooking for them but this should be easy.

Steve rose a brow. “Shouldn’t we maybe explain to them what’s going before just walking in with Peter? I’m pretty sure we don’t want to put our teammates into an early grave from shock.”

“Yea Stark pretty sure if you walk out there looking like you just raised the dead they might try to have you committed.” Bucky had barely held it together himself when he’s first seen the boy.

“Calm down kiddies, I’ll give them a heads up as I introduce the kid, this isn’t my first rodeo.” He turned to head out but paused to look at Peter. “By the way, earlier when you said I had to give up Pep and Morgan what did you mean?”

It was all he could do to just blink dumbly. “You died so I mean yea you gave up your family Mr.Stark.” How could he make that any more clear?

“I mean I understand the whole death thing but what I meant was who is Morgan?” He asked with an incline of his head.

“What do you mean who is Morgan? She’s your and Ms.Potts daughter!” His senses were starting to buzz again as panic rose up. They were all staring at him like he’d grown a second head. “Mr.Stark...what year is it?”

Tony started at the question. “It’s 2018 bud, why?”

Peter’s mouth dropped at the sudden realization, of course. They didn’t deal with the snap so they didn’t go that five years after half the universe vanished. He wasn’t just in another reality, he was five years in the past. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! You get to see them talk again, this was just a bit of a bridge to get things rolling. Trust me there will be plenty more feels to come and punch you right in the face.
> 
> Again I apologize for the crappy writing, one day I'll get someone to beta for me before I post.
> 
> As always kudos and comments are welcome but not required as I am just happy that you are all enjoying my story so far.


	4. Can we Keep him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not the whole team seems to be on board with a new Peter running around, not that he blames them.
> 
> But it would be nice if at least one thing could go right for him.
> 
> Also did he mention he hates collapsing buildings?

“I’m not sure why exactly but Strange sent me back five years compared to my timeline. Where I’m from Mr.Stark had married Pepper and you guys had a little girl named Morgan.” It didn’t exactly change anything as far as his current situation went but it seemed a little odd to him that he would be sent not only to another reality but into the past as well.

Tony frowned softly, the kid obviously had a lot on his mind and this would just be another thing added to the list. “Hey let’s not overthink it, it could be that since our battle with Thanos ended before yours the worlds would be a bit more similar for you to adjust to or who knows Strange was just being his weird cryptic self, either we need to focus on food first and universal cosmic mysteries later.”

For the first time since this had all gone down Peter found himself laughing, it was genuine even if it were just a short soft sound. He sighed, shook his head and then looked back at Mr.Stark who had an odd expression. “Sorry, it’s just you sound so much like him but in a good way, I mean, it’s nice to hear it again.” The humor, sarcasm and over the top self confidence. 

Tony nodded slowly before heading back to the door. “I know the feeling kid, let’s go.”

Peter shuffled off the bed and followed quietly behind Mr.Stark as Bucky and Steve trailed behind them. They walked in silence until nearly reaching the kitchen where he was motioned to hold back.

Tony walked into the kitchen where not only Barton was but Nat was as well, oh this was going to be interesting with mama spider around. “So listen, we have a guest that will be staying at the tower for a few weeks and I can’t really explain the details until after you see him but I’m gonna need you to just not freak out ok?”

Natasha quirked a brow. “Tony when have you ever known me to freak out? No offense but I think out of everyone in the tower I’m the last person you need to worry about.”

Clint just shrugged. “Aliens. Gods. Titans. Pretty sure by this point we have seen it all so bring it on Stark.”

Tony made a wide sweeping motion with his hands. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Bring him out Rogers.”

You could have heard a pin drop as Steve walked out, his hand placed gently on Peter’s shoulder as he nudged the teen forward. His head hung low as he shuffled forward, stopping even with Mr.Stark before he would even so much as glance up. Of course both spies were slack jawed and pale as they took in the sight before them. “Uh..hi. I’m Peter, nice to meet you Ms. Romanov and Mr.Barton.”

Neither of them said anything at first, they just stared at him until finally Clint came around the counter to stand in front of Peter. His eyes looked wet as he listed a hand, reaching out and stopping short just before touching the boy’s face. “Petey?”

Peter glanced at Mr.Stark then back to Hawkeye. “Yes Sir but not your Peter...I’m sorry. I came here from a different timeline due to some rather extreme circumstances and Mr.Stark said I could stay for awhile but I won’t stay if it’s a problem.”

Clint blinked a few times as he lowered his arm, it was like looking at a ghost. The last time he’d seen Peter was on the battlefield as he lay dying. It was one of the most painful things any of them had been through, the kid’s healing kept trying to keep him alive but all it had done was serve to create a slower death, one they had all been witness to. He looked at Stark who was grinning, it was fake. Had to be. He’d held the kid as he died, there was no way he was ok with this. “This is a problem Stark. A big one, big enough that I think it would be best to have a vote for something like this.” His eyes swept coldly over the boy before he brushed past him and headed to his room.

Peter’s eyes were wide and his breath coming in short gasps as he looked at the ground. So far people had seemed fine with it but it was just made very clear that some of this team might have a big issue with a different Peter being here. As he kept staring down another pair of boots came into his line of sight and he knew the BlackWidow was standing in front of him.

“Look at me.” Her voice was cold, giving away nothing as to how she felt.

Turns out neither did her eyes or facial expression that remained impassive as he looked up. “Yes Ma’am.”

“I don’t know your story kid, to be honest I don’t care to know. But Clint’s right, there will need to be a vote about this.” Her eyes seemed to scan over him in an almost robotic fashion. “It’s nothing personal but our Peter is dead. He died saving us all and I’m not sure I’m prepared to let some carbon copy just slide in and take his place for a few weeks before up and vanishing.” She held up a hand to silence anything Stark had been about to say as she turned her icy stare on him. “This will be a team choice, not a Tony Stark choice. End of story.” With that she followed in the direction Clint had gone.

“Hey hey Peter, it’s fine, don't worry about it. We’ll get this all figured out kid.” Tony’s was furious, they didn’t even know the kid’s story and to treat him like that.

“No, they’re right Sir. This is something you should all decide as a team ok? If you don’t mind, I would like some food and then if there is a room I could just hang out in alone until you guys all decide what to do that would be great.” The sooner the Avengers decided where they stood on this better.

Steve glanced at Bucky who looked pretty furious himself but as the voice of reason he knew the others had a right to decide as well so he spoke up rather than waiting for Tony to say something to make it worse. “No problem Peter, we will get you food and we have plenty of spare rooms for you. We don’t have any missions today so we will call for an emergency meeting and get everything figured out as soon as possible.”

Both Tony and Bucky looked more than a little irritated but it was Peter who nodded his agreement. “Sounds good, it’s only fair you decide as a team. That’s what has made you guys so strong right?” He looked the other two in the eyes, who obviously couldn’t deny their own words.

Steve didn’t wait for their reply, he just walked into the kitchen with Peter, they were mostly silent as he made him up a few sandwiches, only speaking when he had to double check what he liked and tried to ignore the pain when he realized he liked his sandwiches smooshed flat just like their Peter. Once they were done he led him to a spare room, it had a bed and a desk with a chair, but not much else. “If you want, I can get you a laptop or something to pass the time.”

Peter just shook his head, smiling at Steve. He really did feel grateful for what they were doing for him. “I’m ok, I’m just going to eat and then maybe nap some more. It’s been a long few days so maybe you guys could just wake me when you come to a decision.”

He nodded and turned back to the other two. “Let’s give him some space guys.”

Tony was torn as he stared at Peter picking at his food, he looked so lost. His eyes were so much harder than his Peter’s. Eyes didn’t get that way over a few months, he had been suffering for awhile. “Pete, just holler at Friday if you need me.” He went to leave but stopped when he heard his name being softly called. “Yea kid?”

“Uh...I know this might seem silly but did your Peter have a Karen?” He knew it wouldn’t be the same but he suddenly just wanted someone to talk to during all of this.

He felt his heart clench hard as he thought about the A.I. he’d designed for Peter, the one he named Karen and had bonded with in much the way he had with all of his own creations. “Uh yea...he had Karen.”

Peter nodded, he wasn’t sure how to ask what he wanted because he knew this was treading on thin ice of a very painful subject.

Tony thought about it for a moment before handing Peter the watch that hadn’t left his pocket since the incident. “Here.” That’s all he could say before leaving, flanked by his other teammates.

Peter watched the door close behind them before picking up the watch. He hadn’t had a watch like this but it was amazing all the same. “Karen?” He kept his voice just barely above a whisper.

There was silence for a long time before finally a crackle in the air.

_ Peter? _

“Hey Karen, man it’s so good to hear your voice.” It was soothing, he could feel some of the tension easing out of his body.

_ It’s good to hear your voice as Peter, but something must be wrong with my central processing system. The last time we spoke your vitals ceased. _

“There’s nothing wrong with you Karen. I’m a different Peter, I come from a reality where it was Mr.Stark that died instead of me so if you would rather I didn’t talk to you then I understand.” He had always thought of her as more of a person than just some A.I.

_ I see. You must be very lonely then Peter. I would be happy to talk to you. My Peter wouldn’t want you to be alone. _

Peter cracked a smile as he drew his knees up to his chest. “Thank you Karen…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took half an hour to get in touch with the whole team together, Rhodey had to sit in via video feed and Thor was off world but the rest were all present and accounted for at their little round table.

They had agreed to save any opinions until after Bruce had explained the situation which was where they were now. Sitting in silence after hearing this Peter’s story and what led him here.

It was Vision who spoke first. “I may not fully grasp how the team feels but while I will always be grateful for young Parker with his aid in my resurrection I also cannot see how we would be honoring his kindness by turning out this new Peter.”

Clint scoffed. “Honoring by replacing him then? Let’s cut right to the real point here.” He locked eyes with Stark. “We all know you can’t cope like a normal human so you find this copy and think he will just make it all better?”

Tony surged to his feet, hot with anger. “Nothing and no one coud replace Peter! But for christ’s sake he is a kid! You really wanna just leave him on his own?”

Nat shook her head. “We could easily put him up in a safe house, put some distance between all of us and make sure he was looked after without keeping him here Stark.”

Rhodey spoke up from there. “Tones I hate to say this but Nat has a point, it hasn’t been that long since Peter passed and I’m not sure having this…other Peter would be healthy for anyone.”

Bucky slammed down his mug, eyes flashing hot. “So you are telling me you guys can find it in you to work together and overcome the Accords along with helping me but you can’t take care of a teenage boy?”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of taking care of him, it’s as Natasha said, we can make sure the boy is safe without interacting with him.” Wanda never looked up as she spoke. She could not let this boy stay here, her boy had died a hero and she could not look a fake in the face.

“So four on four right now then, Bruce I think that makes you the tie breaker.” Tony smirked, well aware that Bruce had been there when they were all caring for him before.

“Tony I…” Bruce found himself being cut off as an alarm blared through the tower.

“Talk to me Friday.” Tony was on his feet, bringing the central monitors up.

_ Unknown threat has entered the Upper East Side, threat it airborne and moving fast. Structural damage as already occurred to several buildings and streets. Bringing up Live feed now. _

As Friday said multiple buildings had been damages and areas of the road had been pulled up, cars were piling up as something flew around at such a high speed Friday couldn’t collect a still image.

Steve nodded. “We can table this conversation for later, for now let’s do what we do best and get out there.”

This time they all agreed as they suited up and headed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter heard the alarm from his room and his head jerked up. “Karen?”

_ A threat in the Upper East Side, the team has already deployed to assess the situation but as of now the threat has yet to be determined. _

“Do you think they will be ok?” Not that he could do much, he wasn’t Spider-Man here. That hero was gone.

_ As the threat is still unidentified I cannot say for sure, but aside from WarMachine and Thor they have what consists of the main team out there. According to schematics they should be able to handle this. _

“Right, of course, well could you maybe just keep me updated on things then?” He had already climbed to his feet and begun to pace. He hated not being able to help, even if it wasn’t his world it still needed protecting. __

_ Of course Peter. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been maybe twenty minutes when Karen’s voice rang through the air.

_ Peter it would seem Clint Barton is in danger. There are currently multiple explosions happening and the team is trying to find the source, Clint has been compromised. _

He brought his head up, looking out the window as he felt his mind clear. “Karen, can you lead me there?”

_ Of course, would you like to suit up? _

“No. That suit doesn’t belong to me, just get me there as fast as you can.” He opened the window and began climbing down the building. “Can I access the web shooters without the suit?” 

He got no verbal response but he felt the nanoparticles crawls across his skin, looking down, he saw a new version of his shooters. “That’s new.”

He took off, following Karen’s directions while trying to avoid being seen. He had wanted to wear the suit but that wasn’t something he could do, it just felt wrong.

When he landed near where Clint was he was assaulted with the sound of loud explosions, buildings collapsing as something kept zooming around. He could hear the Avengers calling out to each other so he focused on getting to Clint. Karen had said he was trapped under some rubble with a leg fracture. 

“Hawkeye!” He didn’t want to call out his real name, just in case.

He heard a low groan, running over he found the man with his left leg pinned.

“Hey man, just hold on I’ll get you out of here.” He squatted and moved to grip the chunk of concrete, but before he could lift he heard something from above.

“Kid!” Clint cried out, the building was crumbling. “MOVE!” Everything was loud, the world shook around him as debris and concrete rained down. He held his arms above his head, as if that would offer any kind of protection.

But as the world began to go silent he was keenly aware that aside from some of the loose debris that nothing had crushed him flat. He blinked a few times and as the dust settled he was met with something he had never wanted to see again. 

A destroyed Peter Parker.

The boy was holding up who knew how many thousands of pounds of concrete, he had blood running down into his eyes and what looked like some sort of pipe going straight through his lower abdomen. “Peter…”

Peter grunted, his arms shook hard and his legs were about to give out. “Not to sound rude Mr.Hawkeye but I’m going to need you to get on that comm and get someone over here fast otherwise I’m one squished spider.”

The rubble shifted and he collapsed to one knee. “Now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this slightly longer chapter, I couldn't decide where to end it lol.
> 
> I'm so happy all of you seem to be liking this story so far! Makes my heart happy!!


	5. Just Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a hero doesn't mean waiting for the right moment sometimes, sometimes you just do what you have to so you can save the people that matter most.
> 
> It means you might not make it out.
> 
> But Peter certainly didn't think it meant he might die in a world away from his own.
> 
> He just needed to breathe.

Clint grasped at his comm, sounding much more desperate this time. “I need an assist asap! I have a building about to crush me and…” He looked up again, Peter’s eyes were screwed shut, sweat pouring down his face to mix with the blood. He was so pale. “Shit! I have Peter with me! He’s in real bad shape and holding the building up!”

There was radio silence for about fifteen seconds and then. “What the hell is he doing there Barton!?” Tony’s voice was near panicking levels.

“I don’t know! I think Karen helped him get here but Tony...man he has a pipe shoved in one side and out the other, there is no way he can keep this up.”

“Clint we are pinned down, we are trying to clear a path to you now! Hang on!” This time it was Steve, the sound of explosions still ringing in the background.

Clint gave a shaky nod. “Peter, help is coming but kid you gotta get out of here. We can’t both die under this heap of rock!” No sooner were the words out then he saw something light up in Peter’s eyes as the boy looked at him.

“No way. I’m not leaving you here to die Sir. I have let to many people down and I won’t keep walking that path.” He shifted his weight, biting back a gasp as another tremor of pain shook him. He was also having issues breathing which meant he needed to act fast or they were both screwed. He had one shot and it was dangerous. “Listen to me, I need you to reach up and yank this pipe out, use it to get some leverage and lift that rock off your leg. Once it’s free I am going to shift this debris above me and we are going to make a mad scramble for a less cramped space. Ok?”

“Are you crazy?!” He might look like Peter but his kid never went to that extreme, not until there had been no going back.

Peter grit his teeth as he glared at the older Avenger. “No offense Mr.Barton but they sound like they could use our help, so I doubt a rescue is iminent which means we need to save ourselves. So pull out the damn pipe!”

Clint cursed again before reaching out, his hand wrapping around the pipe. He tried to block out the cry Peter let slip as he pulled the metal from his body. He made quick work of using it to get just enough leverage to slide his mangled leg free. He pulled himself up as best he could before looking back at the kid, who very much looked like just that, a scared and broken child. “What’s next kid?”

Peter struggled to clear his mind and focus on the next move. “I’m not holding up the whole building, just what didn’t fall and scatter so I’m going to try and tip it to falling to one side, as soon as we spot an opening we have to scramble. Injured or not.”

“Sounds nuts, let’s do it.” He knew they didn’t really have any other options.

With a nod Peter pulled himself to both feet, he strained to the point his vision started to swim as he pushed at the weight above him. Dirt began to spill over him as he felt the shift, the sound of rock shifting as it slid to one side. Pockets of light began to stream in. “Clint!”

Clint didn’t let the sound of his name coming from Peter delay him, he moved closer to where he could see light. “We have a small gap Peter.”

“Then go! I can’t let this go until you are clear.”

Clint wanted to argue but all that would do is waste precious time in their escape. He pushed his body to move, his leg screaming as he put pressure on it. Enough of the rock had shifted from Peter’s movements that he could slide through. He managed a few steps clear of the destruction then turned back. “Peter! Get out now!”

Peter groaned, it felt like his muscles were tearing and he could barely breathe, he had blood running into his eye and he was also pretty sure he could taste some in the back of his throat. Every part of him just wanted to call it quits and let the rest of the building crush him. But he had to many people back home waiting on him, he couldn’t die here.

The only problem was if he tried to dive for the open the rumble would most likely crush him first. His eyes darted around trying desperately to find any means of escape that didn’t end on spider guts being splattered across the way. He had to do something fast though, superhuman or not he was running out of time. He could feel the panic setting in as it got harder and harder to catch his breath, then from his watch he heard it.

_ Hey kid, I need you to hang tight. I’m almost there, we are going to get you out. _

A sob wretched from his throat at the sound of Mr.Stark’s voice. He had come to save Clint and once again he was the one who ended up needing to be saved. The Peter here had died for them all and he couldn’t even escape a pile of rocks. He felt his arms give, folding in and he cried out as he fully expected the weight above to come crashing down.

Instead there was nothing, he glanced up to see Mr.Stark’s nano droids holding the world above his head steady. His arms dangled at his sides as he looked back to the opening to see Natasha sliding through with ease. “Ms.Romanov?” He could hear the slur of his words, he was also fairly sure one of his lungs had collapsed as his wheezes were now wet and bubbly.

She slid easily over to him, her hand going to his shoulder to steady him, she could tell he was in bad shape. He might not be the same Peter but he clearly had the same heart and Stark was not going to take this well. “Parker, you with me kid?”

He flopped his head up and down, raising one hand up to give her a thumbs up. “Golden, just peachy in fact. How’s Mr.Barton?”

“He’s fine, Bruce is looking him over now but it’s you we need to get checked out right now, he said you had a pipe go through you.” She was trying to give him the once over as she hooked her arm around his chest, just under his pits to help support his weight. “Come on, let’s get you out.”

It felt more like his feet slid through the dirt as opposed to taking actual steps but he could see the exit getting closer so he knew either way he was moving. He felt the spy help steady him so he could climb out, the air was fresh as it swept over him and he could no longer hear the explosions so he assumed they had dealt with the threat. He stumbled a few steps forward and landed against something metal, his eyes were downcast so all he saw was a bright warm blue light. “Mr.Stark…”

Tony almost couldn’t breathe, his heart nearly stopped at the sight of the boy just before he’d collapsed against his armor. He forced himself to move quickly and gently as he lifted Peter into his arms, turning to make his way to the jet.

Nat rushed to keep pace with him. “Stark listen we need to talk as soon as he is stable.”

He didn’t so much as incline his head her way. “No Romanov. I understand you and the others doubts, even sympathize with them. This isn’t about throwing my weight around or trying to go over your heads.” He glanced down at the boy struggling to breathe at this point. “But he is a kid, he is alone and scared in this world. I’m not letting him get tossed into a safe house and ignored. You don’t have to hang around the compound if you feel that strongly about it, but you won’t change my mind either.”

She stopped walking, letting him get several paces ahead of her, stunned by his reaction. She had known he would be stubborn about this but he had purposely acknowledged her doubt on the matter, gone out of his way not to sound like his usual self. Which is how she knew he was right, this wasn’t something he planned on budging about.

She resigned herself to follow along, it had been a long day and everyone needed rest, though she wasn’t blind to the tension as she boarded. Clint was stable and sitting in a corner while Bruce looked over Peter. Cho had been contacted to arrive at the compound to assist and both Bucky and Steve were hovering almost as badly as Tony was trying to watch over Peter. She made her way over to sit next to Clint, she opened her mouth but he held up a hand to stop her.

“Not now Nat, the kid nearly died saving me. He saved me without any hesitation even after this morning. I’m not saying I want him around as a reminder but I also can’t just toss him out like he doesn’t mean anything.” He ran a hand down his face and glanced at her. “I just can’t Nat.”

She nodded, wisps of hair bouncing around her eyes. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeeee!!! This was a bit shorter just because I wanted to get this scene played out all at once but the next update shouldn't be far behind.
> 
> I'm really excited by all of the positive feedback this story as received so far. It keeps me super motivated! Thank you everyone!!


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